“Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War,”
a traveling exhibition opening in the Library
mid- June, examines how President Lincoln
used the Constitution to confront three intertwined
crises of the Civil War. Read more

The Lincoln Exhibition, “Lincoln, The Constitution and The
Civil War,” opens to the general public tomorrow, and starting
next week several special events will be held to correspond with
the theme of the exhibit.

On Monday, June 24, The Lincoln Film Series kicks off at 10 a.m.
in the Library Studio with Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” starring Oscar
Award-winning Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis. On Wednesday, June
26, at 1:00 p.m. in the Library, join Professor Bob Fitrakis for a lecture titled
“Lincoln and the Constitutionality of the Emancipation Proclamation.” And
the following Tuesday, July 2,Thomas Lloyd’s Saxophone Ensemble will kick
off the Music of the Civil War Era series with a 6:00 p.m. concert in the Library.
All events are free and open to the public. You can see a complete listing of
special events and lots more about the Lincoln Exhibition online here.

High gas prices not a problem for Mosca

John Mosca, coordinator in Physical Plant, shows a portion of the batteries running his electric car. Five more are hooked up in the former engine compartment in back.

When you first spot the shiny little black 1986 Toyota MR2 in the parking lot, you think—how is that thing still running?

You’d have to look in the “trunk” of the little sports car to find out.
In place of the original straight-four 112hp rear-mounted gas engine, you’ll see five large batteries hooked up to a charger. Under the hood in front, where the MR2’s trunk used to be—another five batteries and another charger.

Completely out of sight underneath the bank of batteries sits a small 30hp electric motor. Open the gas cap and you’ll find the electric plug.

John Mosca built himself an electric car pretty much from scratch!

About a year ago, Mosca was irritated with the amount of gas being guzzled by his household’s various cars. He was working 70-hour weeks with two jobs and his commutes from his Blacklick home were eating a hole in his wallet. So one day he noticed a 1986 Toyota MR2 for sale on Craigslist for $1,000. The engine was blown. “Great!” thought Mosca and bought the car immediately, then set to work removing the engine and converting the car to run on electricity. He bought mostly used parts online—ten 12v batteries, two chargers, a motor, wiring. After about 12 months and $4,000—he had his electric car.

It has a top speed of 62 mph and a 30-mile range. It takes six hours to fully charge from “empty.” It’s the perfect commuter car, although it “rides like a go cart,” says Mosca.

“A new electric car can cost up to $40,000,” he says. “It takes a long time to recoup your investment if you buy a new one. This way I started saving money almost from the start.”

His friends and coworkers told him it would be too difficult to rig up the car to run on electricity, but Mosca enjoyed the year-long process. “I taught myself welding and electrical engineering and only got shocked once,” says Mosca. “I like to have a challenge!”

Onward Action Projects!

Seven projects have been sent to the Cabinet for consideration as official AQIP Action Projects for 2014.

Path to Prosperity, Reverse Transfer, Data Warehouse, Achieving the Dream, Benefits Bank, Behavior Intervention, and Title III – Sustainability were forwarded by the AQIP Steering Committee in late May.

A minimum of three projects must be registered with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) by September 30. The projects are central to the College’s accreditation pathway because they demonstrate data-based continuous improvement and alignment with strategic college goals.

Last week the HLC sponsored a regional “listening session” in the Columbus State Conference Center. Representatives from twenty AQIP institutions attended the event. According to Dr. Greg Goodhart, Professor in Mathematics and an AQIP Faculty Fellow, discussions centered on the length of the accreditation cycle, (currently 7-10 years), Portfolio and Criteria questions, and the structure of Checkup Visits.

Changes, if any, will occur no sooner than the 2014-15 academic year.

Change office address? Fill out this form!

With many recent moves by departments and individuals at Columbus State, the Mail Services Department asks that you complete the Address Change Form to help with efficient campus mail service.

The Address Change Form is located on the Intranet, at the bottom of the "Forms" page (Intranet is not available off campus). Complete the form and return it to Mail Services so that you can receive your mail and packages in a timely manner. Any questions can be directed to Eric Johnson at ext. 2568.